Transferring While Black: Intersectional Experiences of Black College-to-University Transfer Students in Canada

In the Canadian province of Ontario, higher education institutions have amplified their efforts to advance social equity and inclusion by establishing transfer programmes between colleges and universities. However, transitioning between these institutions continues to present challenges for the policy objectives assumed in transfer programmes. Few studies have analysed how students from historically marginalised backgrounds experience the transfer process, and how these experiences present a challenge for the ability of transfer pathways to function as a mechanism of equity and inclusion. Our study sheds light on the experiences of an important section of this population: Black college-to-university transfer students. Underpinned by the theory of intersectionality, our study critically explores the challenges that Black transfer students encounter in their transferring and settling into Canadian universities. Utilising in-depth interviews, our exploratory qualitative analysis shows that Black transfer students face a host of challenges linked to their race, class, and gender. These experiences impact students’ ability to transfer smoothly into their new school and pursue their academic goals in a timely fashion. Major issues include, but not limited to, the racism of low expectations, lack of representation within the transfer ecosystem, lack of support that considers the diversity within Black transfer students, and information asymmetry. Although we focus on the narratives of Black transfer students in the Canadian academy, this research advances the cause of equity by helping the higher education communities worldwide to reflect on how educational pathways can help higher education become a meaningful corrective of social disadvantage.